Star Trek: Alternative
by cervantez47
Summary: Sherbert Finn, once a Starfleet Admiral, now trapped in an alternate universe where the Federation never came to be, and the United States ruled the galaxy! He must figure out how he was trapped here and how he can hope to find his way home.


Star Trek Alternative: The Sherbert Finn Chronicles

Prologue: Transition

Location: New Sydney, the Seventh Planet in the Sappora System

Retired Admiral Sherbert S. Finn stood at the balcony overlooking the capitol city with a drink in his hand. That drink was a glass of fine scotch on the rocks, aged fifty years, which was about as old as he was. The glass was strong and curved, with a heavy base, which was a perfect fit for the drink residing in it. He nurtured it tenderly, savoring every last sip as the fiery liquid made its way down his throat.

He stood overlooking the city with tired eyes, a city that was nearly overwhelmed with Starfleet marines. The sky was yellow, but not quite dark enough for the denizens to turn on their lights. There was a chill in the air as he gazed past the great hulks of buildings that surrounded him that made up the capitol city. He always held a fondness for this planet, which was among other things one of the most corrupt worlds that resided near Federation space. Despite the dilithium rich mines, which the Federation was dependent on, Finn had often wondered how things would have went if the Federation had not spent so much time here attempting to restore order to a largely order-less world. Klemendat, an old dear friend, passed on before his work here could be finished. Grace Tiger did her very best to prepare New Sydney for Federation membership, for which she had almost succeeded were it not for a rash series of attacks on the Federation that credited a New Sydney terrorist group.

He began to dwell on the past. Many decisions were made since his ascension to the great political system that made up Starfleet Command. Many he regretted, lost friends over political agendas, lost touch with those that were the most important to him. Ten years ago, he commanded the USS _Godspeed_. Finn missed the good old days with Knighthorse and Savich, Thenka and Kal'vec, Dierna and the rest. They had some extraordinary adventures together. There was one person he missed the most...

"What was her name?" asked a voice behind him. Finn turned around to see his friend, President Garou, approach him with another glass of scotch. "Your mind is so far somewhere else; it must be a woman you are thinking about."

Finn smiled. "An old flame," he said distantly. "From a long time ago. Someone who I should not have let go. Her name was Yuna."

Garou smiled. "Maybe it's not too late?" he suggested.

He shook his head. "She's long gone," Finn said sadly. "I was much too married to my work to have noticed." He looked up at the younger gentleman and smiled gratefully. "Mr. President, I want to thank you for letting me visit here one last time before I return to Earth."

President Garou waved him off. "Think nothing of it," he said. "If it were not for you, we would be under Federation occupation. You will always be welcome here, my friend. I just wished you found the ones responsible for the destruction of all those ships. And your lost friend, Captain DeSoto."

"I am comfortable with the fact that Randall Cook and Grace Tiger are on top of it," nodded Finn. "Anymore involvement from me would just draw much unneeded attention and hinder their ability to get behind this mess. DeSoto is alive and will return someday. I can feel it."

The president rose his glass, which Finn met. "To absent friends," said Garou firmly.

"And their safe return," finished Finn. They both finished their drinks together.

Not a moment has passed before Garou's elite security force burst through the doors onto the balcony with a great amount of urgency. Trailing them was a battered man whose security uniform was nearly torn to shreds and his face was burnt almost beyond recognition. President Garou recognized him immediately. "It's my chief of security!" he exclaimed.

"What happened?" barked Finn.

"We found him like this at the front gate," said one of the guards. "He insisted on seeing the president immediately."

The injured man, who looked like he had been through a burning shredder, burst out crying. Finn kneeled down in front of him. "Tell me what happened to you," he said gently.

"The end is here," said the man with a tone of finality in his voice. "The overlords have come. The overlords are here! This is the end!"

The chill in the air was audible to the point where even the security guards looked uneasy. Finn turned to President Garou with a questioning look on his face before he realized that the temperature was starting to get cold very fast. He looked around to see the sky shimmer above him. It began to distort as clouds dissipated into nothingness when it was suddenly replaced by total and complete darkness. The city lights came on right away and illuminated what was directly above them - a cylindrical object that spanned for miles. It covered the entire city.

"Look over there!" shouted President Garou.

Finn turned to where the president was facing to see something similar appear out of nowhere near the horizon. It was another cylindrical object - from underneath. From above it looked like a massive metropolis which sat on the disk as if it were on solid ground. He can only assume that something similar existed above the disk on top of them. As they continued to watch the second sky city in the distance, they noticed with horror a massive energy discharge from beneath the city impacted the ground. Garou had noted that another city resided there, closer to the mining district.

"We have to get out of here!" Garou exclaimed.

"And go where?" asked Finn. "We have to warn the Federation."

Garou nodded and ordered his guards back inside the citadel. Finn and Garou followed when they both noticed the temperature started to rise dramatically. They burst into a run to the communications panel, where Garou quickly entered his personal identification code. Finn then sent an emergency broadcast on all Federation subspace channels. He turned back to Garou. "The signal is sent. At least the Federation will know what has happened to us."

That had seemed to be little comfort to Garou. He leaned against the wall and fell to the floor. Finn followed suit. They were sweating now; the heat was getting so great. They both knew the hopelessness of their situation and mutually accepted what was about to happen next.

Finn chuckled. "It was a good glass of scotch," he said happily. He could not have asked for better. Vintage scotch, a few cubes of ice, and a strong glass to put it in. All in all, an appropriate last meal.

Garou nodded his agreement.

Suddenly, there was a massive burst of heat and light and then darkness.


End file.
